The
tour was arranged in haste once the settlement was made with Kerry Packer and
details not finalised before England
arrived. Willis missed the first tour match while accompanying George Mann,
the TCCB Chairman, to complete arrangements at a meeting in Melbourne.

Alec Bedser (chairman),Ken Barrington, Mike Brearley, Donald Carr, Brian Close,Charlie Elliott and Peter May
chose the team at a seven-hour meeting at Lord's.

Selection

The manager was appointed on 16 August and the captain on 29
August.

Selection of the team was delayed by pay negotiations, from 4
September, the last day of the final Test against India, until 10 September.

Unavailable :Chris
Old.

Tour party announced :10 September 1979.

Not selected :Mike Gatting, Phil Edmonds

Time between selection and departure from England

55 days

(10 September - 4 November)

Travel

LondonQSydney

On 4 November 1979 the team flew from London,
via Bahrain and Singapore, and arrived in Sydney on 6 November, the same day as the
West Indians.

At his press conference Brearley expressed reservations about the
experimental playing conditions like fielding circles, which the press
reported as 'Moaning Brearley flies in'. After four days of settling in, the
team flew to Brisbane.

On landing at Heathrow, tour manager Alec Bedser was asked in his
capacity as chairman of selectors about Ian Botham becoming England captain
and replied “His cricketing talents are a bit like Keith Miller’s but he was
a terrible captain.”